April Favourites

 

I can't believe it's now May! It really feels like only a few weeks ago I was popping open the Bucks Fizz on Christmas morning... Now it's time for the warmer months (hopefully) and I've been enjoying adding a little more colour to my face. The perfect product for this has been Soap & Glory's Solar Powder.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light | Review

The one product I have never splurged on or bought high end is foundation. I never really wore it throughout my teens and then the first one I bought was Bourjois Healthy Mix when it first came out which I loved and re-purchased multiple times. 

Under Eye Concealing Combo

 I thought I'd kick start my foray back into blogging with a mention of my favourite under eye concealers at the moment. Getting used to early starts every day (for some reason Oscar has lie ins, so getting up at 7 is a novelty...) has left me having a major need to conceal my dark circles. 

Benefit Girl Meets Pearl | Review

If you've read my blog for a while you'll know I'm not always bowled over by Benefit's products and found that they don't normally live up to the hype surrounding them. Nevertheless, I was on the lookout for a new blusher and having never tried one by Benefit despite their good reputation, I thought why not? So, I originally went to the Benefit counter with my eyes set on grabbing myself Rockateur. I tried it out and found it made me look like I'd had one too many glasses of wine so decided to see if there was anything else that took my fancy.

I happened to give Girl Meets Pearl a quick swipe and fell in love with the golden pink sheen it left on the back of my hand. I swiftly moved over to a mirror to give it a go on my cheekbones and found that it left me with a gorgeous glow - no glitter, just a 'lit from within' glow.

We'd had a chat with a lovely girl who was on the counter about the best makeup brushes after she'd caught me eyeing up Benefit's offerings and between her and my sister telling me that they thought it looked nice, I decided to buy it there and then.

I bought it as an early Christmas present for myself and I struggled to keep it smuggled away inside it's packaging for 2 weeks before Christmas but it was worth the wait and I've been loving experimenting with how best to wear it. I've tried it out as an all over primer underneath my foundation, blended in with foundation and applied over the top. 

The packaging is super cute with the rose gold finish and you dispense the product by twisting it up from the bottom. I usually twist it a full twist or less to give me a generous amount and it's not particularly messy to apply as you can quite easily control how much you want to come out rather than it all splurging out suddenly.

Girl Meets Pearl is lightly fragranced, it's a bit fruity and smells like raspberries to me but it is very subtle and you don't notice it after you've applied it.

Using it as a primer, the glow doesn't show through quite as obviously as it does when blended with my foundation. I haven't noticed it give my foundation any extra staying power but it doesn't go patchy or uneven throughout the day. My favourite ways to apply it are definitely mixed in with my foundation for an all over subtle glow and then apply it directly to the high points of my face. When applied to cheekbones etc it looks so pretty, you can dab it on quickly to brighten your face a little or build it up to give you gorgeous, luminous skin. 

Overall, I've been really impressed by Girl Meets Pearl and it's probably my new favourite highlighter. 

What are your favourite Benefit products and highlighters?

January Wishlist

Even though I'm not the biggest fan of Christmas, I still find January a pretty grim month. All the festive, pretty lights have gone and the holiday cheer has evaporated. All we are left with is short, dull days and a looooong month until pay day arrives.

I haven't spotted a great deal in the sales but I have still managed to compile a little list of items to covet. 

I ordered a Stila bronzer in the sales but then a couple of days later received an email telling me that it had actually sold out and was issued a refund instead, good for my bank balance but a tad disappointing. I've been searching around for a good bronzer and Soap & Glory's Solar Powder has received rave reviews all around.

I haven't had a good illuminating under eye concealer in so long and the Estee Lauder Double Wear Brush On Glow BB Highlighter has taken my fancy, despite it's hefty price tag. 

This Alphabet Spotty Mug I spotted on a 'What I Got For Christmas' post and just thought it was so cute! I don't even drink hot drinks that often but seem to have a mini obsession with hunting down cute mugs and cups.

My hands get seriously dry in the winter months and I'm always neglecting to moisturise them. When I saw this Mango Hand Cream I wanted it straight away, I have the Mango Body Sorbet and it smells so, so good.

I've only recently heard all of the rave reviews of the La Roche Posay Serozinc Spray but it's now available on escentual and they have a code on with 20.15% off until 12th January making it only £6.79 before postage. I've suffered with bad breakouts the past year and this sounds like it's worth a try!

Finally I spotted this Flowerbomb rollerball and I think it would be great for popping in your handbag. Sephora won't ship it to the UK but I'll have to hunt one down from somewhere!

What's on your wishlist?

2014 Beauty Favourites

I don't tend to change up my products all that frequently, one I've found something I love I tend to stick to it until it runs out. I've tried a few new products this year but for me, these are the ones that have really stood out and impressed me over and over again.
I received the Naked 3 Palette last Christmas and it is one of my most used makeup items and definitely most loved. With it's versatile colours giving you the option to keep it basic or dress it up, it's been used daily and a travel essential for me.
When my HD Brows quad smashed into smithereens on the floor earlier this year, I nearly cried. I dropped it on the day of a job interview and was panic stricken... who would want to employ someone with no brows? I jest. After hearing lots of wonderful things about Anastasia, I decided to try the Brow Powder Duo and actually preferred it to HD Brows. It looks tiny but I've used it virtually every single day since March and there's only a small dip in it. It's ashy tones suit my brows more and I can build up the powder so that I can keep it natural or make it bold.
The Collection Extreme Felt Tip Liner in black was one I'd been meaning to buy for ages but every time I went to get it, something got in the way. One time I got as far as putting it in my basket and making my way to the checkout only to find it had fallen out somewhere on the floor of Morissons, wonderful. This makes lining your eyes a breeze and I no longer suffer from wonky winged eyes. I've had it since October and it's not dried up or lost it's pigmentation yet so it's a winner for me and I'll definitely repurchase.
After trying the famous Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer and being left a little underwhelmed, I decided to purchase Seventeen's Stay Time Concealer and it is the perfect shade for me. It works wonders on my blemishes (and there has been a need to conceal A LOT this year) and also does a nifty job on my dark circles too. I've already come to the end of one tube and repurchased it and for under a fiver, I think I will continue to do so.
It wouldn't be a favourites post without a Max Factor mascara appearing somewhere along the line. I got Clump Defy when it was on offer in Superdrug and it has become a staple for every day use. One coat gives me natural looking lashes but when I layer it up, they look volumised and long. I've also been able to ditch the eyelash curlers with this one which is really impressive for me as normally, my lashes fall flat without being curled but with this one, they look perky all day. 
Finally, I got a couple of eos balms for my birthday and I love them. I think mine are Strawberry Sorbet and Passionfruit and one lives in my handbag and the other on my dressing table. They taste amazing whilst giving my lips a boost of hydration leaving them feeling soft and nourished.
What were your favourite products of 2014? What are you looking forward to trying in 2015?

Christmas Beauty Bits

Helloo! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and are ready to celebrate the New Year!  I was super lucky this year and got a few lovely beauty bits and bobs for Christmas so I thought I'd just do a quick post. 
First up my parents got me the Selfridges Beauty Advent Calendar which I was so surprised with! My mum decided to wait until Christmas day to give it to me as she thought I'd open them all in one go if I'd got them on December 1st (she's probably right.) It had so many amazing minis in it and it would have been dark by the time I'd got a decent photograph with them all in but my favourites at the moment are the Lancome Lip Lovers, Urban Decay Primer Potion and Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate.
Another major surprise was the Lorac Skinny Palette in Nude. I only own the Naked3 out of the whole range so having a nude palette containing more bronzey shades is great. All the shades so far are really pigmented and so far I've worn it every day and managed to come up with a slightly different look each time!
Last on the surprise list was Lancome Hypnose mascara which I've wanted to try for so long but knowing my track record with high end mascaras equaling disappointment, I never got round to taking the plunge and treating myself. I'm pleased to say that it does definitely not disappoint and it's probably the best mascara I've ever used. A bold claim I know but the only thing that could knock it off the top spot would be if it dries up too quickly. 
My fiance's mum gave us some money for Christmas so I decided to get myself Benefit's Girl Meets Pearl which is the most gorgeous rose gold highlighter, Seventeen Falsifeye HD mascara & Stay Time Concealer (a repurchase) and Essie's Set in Stones which I've wanted for about a year.
Finally, I got Viktor & Rolf Bonbon and I can not explain how much I love this fragrance. I gave it a sniff in John Lewis a few months ago and I loved it so much that every time I went in I gave myself a cheeky spray (it seemed to be the same woman who was patrolling the perfume section each time and she gave me weird looks haha.) I saw it on a site where they had 20% off all perfumes for 2 hours, it's like it was destined to be mine...
Edit: somehow, I managed to forget to photograph my Zoeva Rose Golden Brush Set.... there are no words. I'm going to pop up a review of them in the next week or two anyway.   So that's all for my beauty gifts from this year, I've got a post coming in a couple of days with my favourites from 2014!  What were your favourite presents this year?

Vichy Dermablend Setting Powder | Review

*Tumbleweed*... well, it has been a little longer than I expected since I last posted on here, I had a load of post ideas hit me in one go and then I came to a grinding halt/ got carried away with life and left my poor old blog to sit by the wayside.

When I received an email a few weeks ago from escentual telling me my order of Vichy Dermablend Setting Powder* had been dispatched, I was more than a little surprised as I hadn't actually placed an order for it but was nonetheless delighted to receive it as I had been meaning to purchase it for quite some time.

After having been on the lookout for something to keep the shine at bay without irritating my spot prone skin, the Vichy Dermablend Setting Powder sounded ideal with it being hypoallergenic, fragrance free and non comodogenic. I've been using it for about a month now so I think I can say I've given it a decent trial run.

First off, the packaging. It comes in a screw top pot with a little powder puff applicator that is super soft and clings to the powder with ease. At first, I struggled to get enough powder out onto the puff but then I realised it was simpler just to tip some into the lid and dab the puff into that, pretty obvious really.

It applies transparently to the skin with a natural matte finish. It doesn't leave me looking chalky despite me slapping it on liberally and then going over it a couple of minutes later with a powder brush to even things out. I like to apply it generously to my t-zone as that's where I get the most shine and then lighter around the rest of my face so that my bronzer and blusher sit better. I also really love the fact that it has SPF 30 in it as I'm always looking to add some SPF into my makeup routine somewhere and this is the highest factor I've incorporated so far.

As for wear time, I have to say I don't tend to get more than about 3-4 hours before my face is beginning to look shiny and I need a top up. This doesn't bother me too much as to be honest I haven't found anything yet to keep the oil away and it's a breeze just to dab it on with the powder puff. (I'm not sure if I'm not applying enough and perhaps I could get longer lasting coverage if I applied more, let me know if you've used this and how it works for you.) You get a LOT of product in the pot so I can see this lasting me a fair while. I have only tried using it over my Healthy Mix foundation so whether or not it would hold up longer over their recommended Dermablend High Coverage Corrective Foundation is another question.

Overall, this has become a staple in my everyday routine and since receiving it, I haven't gone a day without it and it hasn't irritated my skin whatsoever. I would definitely like to try more from Vichy in the future, especially with my newly sensitive, spot prone skin.  You can get it from escentual for £14.45.

What's your favourite product to keep oily skin under control? I'd love some recommendations!

Lip Crayon Love

I am probably a bit behind the hype on this one but I just thought I'd share my current favourite lip products. I tend to spend the most money on collecting lipsticks and balms galore but spend the least amount of time bothering to apply them. This is why the lip crayons are so perfect for me; easy to slick on and reapply without a mirror throughout the day adding a natural hint of colour and moisture. No flaky or uneven stained lips, just a natural looking "my lips but better."
The first lip crayon I got was one of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains in Honey. This is probably my least favourite out of the ones above as I find it a bit harder in consistency and I'm not a fan of the menthol scent but I do love the natural, dusky rose colour when applied. I prefer to wear it in winter with a blush in a similar shade and it fades well with an even stain and without drying my lips out.
I don't know if any of you ladies remember Glamour magazine having mini Clinique Chubby Stick freebies a couple of months ago but I was like a woman possessed trying to get my hands on them. I searched quite determinedly to find them all over Manchester but had to admit defeat when none appeared to be anywhere. I eventually had a lovely lady from Glasgow hunt them down and send them to me which I was super happy about. Anyway, long rambling story aside, I'm really glad I have them in my collection. Woppin' Watermelon is a bright, cool toned pink that is perfect for everyday wear when you want to keep your makeup bright and fresh and Super Strawberry which is a red berry shade that is going to be worn frequently throughout the coming months. Both are a dream to apply and go smoothly over the lips leaving a was of colour, more of a tinted balm than lipstick but perfect for work or lazy weekends.
Finally, one that I picked up on a whim on another Boots 3 for 2 - Soap & Glory's Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Nudist. This has been the one that I've reaching for the most, it smells of vanilla and is the perfect nude for me and is so glossy and smooth. It adds the perfect minimal touch of colour to my lips that just makes them look a little bit less washed out.
I'd say that all of the lip crayons last on my lips when not eating or drinking for about an hour to 2 hours, this doesn't surprise me as they're so lightweight but they're such a breeze to reapply, it's not even a bother to top them up.  
What are your favourite lip crayons?

Every Day Makeup

Recently, I've been scaling back my makeup and keeping it to the bare minimum. I have cut out foundation from my routine and although my skin doesn't look as "perfect" without it on I think it's been appreciating the chance to go makeup free for a couple of weeks. I'm not sure I'll keep it up long term but it's surprising how my skin actually doesn't look that bad with just concealer and powder.
If I'm in the mood, I'll apply Seventeen's Wow! Skin 3 Way Highlighter as a base to give my skin a bit of life and then I've been liberally applying Seventeen's Stay Time Concealer on my blemishes and under my eyes. I just love this concealer. For me, it definitely blows Collection's Lasting Perfection out of the water, it's a lot less cakey and more natural looking whilst still giving high coverage. 
A quick bit of Anastasia Brow Powder Duo through my brows to thicken them up and then I give my skin a dusting of Soap & Glory's One Heck Of a Blot face powder. I picked this up during our mini heatwave a few weeks ago and I've used it every day since. It's a mattifying powder that is transparent and I find that it just evens out my complexion and provides a great base for powder products whilst keeping the shine at bay.
A pop of Bobbi Brown's Pretty Pink Blush on the apples of my cheeks - a super pigmented, smooth blush - it's another one that hasn't left my face since I got it. Finally, a curl and a little bit of Max Factor's 2000 Calorie in waterproof to give my lashes a boost. I only recently got this in the waterproof version and I love it. It doesn't provide as much volume as the original version but it keeps the curl in my lashes all day and is great for a natural look.

The Body Shop Mango Body Sorbet | Review

My sister happened to pick this up for me for my birthday and I'm so happy she did. First up, how gorgeous is the packaging? It's so summery and the Mango smells AMAZING, really sweet and fruity. What's so great about this moisturiser though isn't just the scent, it's the consistency of it.

Unlike all other moisturisers I use that are either lotions or body butters and take a while to sink in, the sorbets have a gel-like consistency that as you apply absorb nearly instantly into your skin and have sunk in after you've finished massaging it in. I love applying it in the morning before getting dressed or at night as it sinks into the skin so fast that you don't feel sticky at all.

Due to it's gel consistency, I only need to squirt a ten pence sized amount into my hand to cover my whole leg which I think is pretty good. It's been great for the warm summer days or a holiday by the beach as it has a gorgeous cooling sensation too which is so refreshing to apply after a day in the sun. 

It's also surprisingly moisturising and leaves my skin feeling nourished for the whole day and smelling great too. If your skin is extremely dry then you'd probably be best using a butter or lotion and using this as a quick top up but it's doing the job just fine for me at the moment and I can't wait to pick up more scents! 

I think you can only pick the Body Sorbets up in store at the moment but it's well worth a trip to give them all a sniff and decide on your favourite.

Battle of the Bronze - Budget Gradual Tans

I have been super lazy with my blog recently, I've got loads of things I could post about but have completely neglected to, oops. I've had this post in my drafts for the longest time and decided it was finally time to hit publish. I love to have a bit of a tan when the sun is brave enough to show his face (and just for a bit of a pamper anytime, really!) so naturally, I've collected a few tanning products along the way. I have a few high end and a few budget tanners so I thought I'd sum up the budget ones in this post.

FYI I tend to apply any tanner whether or not it's mousse, lotion, gradual or full on with a mitt. I always exfoliate and moisturise the morning before I apply any sort of tan at bedtime too, so it should give me fairly accurate comparisons.
 First up is the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Natural Bronze. I like the fact that it has a pump so it's easier to control how much product comes out but it does make it a bit of a pain to store if you don't want to keep it out. It smells very similar to the Cocoa Butter when you first apply it but it soon fades to that pretty standard biscuit scent albeit with a hint of cocoa. It soaks in relatively quickly into the skin, I'd say within ten minutes you can put your clothes on/get in bed. I'd say it gives me a moderate tan on first application going slightly darker on the second and although it has a slightly more orange tint than I'd like, it's still a decent gradual tan and I love the fact that it smells that bit sweeter than other tans!  I do think it fades fairly streaky but with a bit of exfoliating and moisturising, it shouldn't give you too much trouble.

Garnier's Summer Body is actually the most recent addition to my collection and I think it's definitely my favourite. A lightweight lotion that sinks into the skin in a couple of minutes and giving me a natural, sunkissed glow upon first application and a deeper colour on the second, I don't feel the need to use more than two applications before I'm happy with the shade. It fades really well with no noticeable streaking and is my go-to for tanning at the moment.

Dove's Summer Glow didn't impress me too much in terms of packaging and fading - the bottle collapses in the middle as you use it making it a bit of a pain to squeeze the product out and it fades pretty patchy. I also got a few streaks when I applied it but that could be due to applying it haphazardly... It gives a nice, olive colour that's very natural looking but takes a while to sink in leaving you feeling sticky for a while and wafting eau de biscuit around for longer than I'd like.

Overall I'd say it's a close call between all of these three and probably boils down to personal preference! All cost around the £5 mark but can be frequently found on offer and all have the trademark biscuit scent and take a couple of applications on me to reach a colour I'm happy with but I do like to keep my tan fairly light so it will need more if you want a darker colour! Summer Body is my winner just because it's lightweight and gives me the colour that I'm looking for but the other two are definitely close runners up!

What are your favourite tanning products? Do you prefer building up your tan gradually or getting it instantly?

May Favourites

This month I've actually got a few favourites, sometimes I stick with the same products for a while but I've been changing it up recently.
First up is MAC's Pure Zen, it's my perfect, peachy nude and I've worn it most days. It looks great with minimal makeup and with something a little more full-on.
If you've read my recent posts, you'll know my skin has been playing up recently. I initially had the Origins GinZing Moisturiser but my skin flared up really badly to it and I broke out in a load of tiny little bumps all over my face, not good!
 I returned it and swapped it for Clinique's Dramatically Different Lotion and so far, I've been enjoying it. It doesn't sink into the skin quite as readily as GinZing but it does leave a nice base for makeup and has been keeping my t-zone less oily too.
I mentioned the Clinique Anti Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel in a recent post and it's so good. It's definitely worth buying whether or not you suffer from the occasional blemish or if they're more of a permanent problem for you, this has cleared my skin up without irritating it.
An old favourite, Seventeen's Doll'd Up mascara. My tube seemed to last forever and so when I finally reached a point where it was just bringing blobs out of the tube, I knew it was time to repurchase. This has the best lasting power for curled lashes and you can apply several coats with no clumps too.
Finally, I got this cute little makeup bag for only £1.99 from H&M to keep my on-the-go makeup in one place in my bag instead of rifling around in the bottom for ages, this keeps it all nicely organised.

What are your favourites this month?

The Perfect Nude Combo

I have tried to make bold lips work for me, but it's just not happening. I originally bought Creme D'Nude with a subtle look in mind but found that it's slightly too nude to work for everyday wear, it definitely looks better with a good smokey eye.
I'd been eyeing up Pure Zen for ages after seeing so many good reviews and so when pay day came around and Debenham's had 10% off Beauty, I decided it was fate and popped it into my basket.
I'm always wary buying makeup online, especially lipsticks as they can look so different on everyone who wears them depending on skintone/lip colour. I have to say though that Pure Zen is everything I had hoped for, it's a beautiful, peachy nude that isn't too nude and just adds a subtle hint of colour for everyday wear without washing me out.
It applies fairly well on bare lips but I prefer to prep my lips with a balm before hand as I do find it goes on smoother that way. Finally, the finishing touch is a slick of Benefit's Dandelion Lipgloss to add an extra hint of shine and I'm good to go. I really love the Dandelion gloss, I think it's actually my favourite gloss that I own. It's not sticky at all and it's really comfortable on the lips with the perfect hint of peach.

What's your favourite everyday lip combo?

Gettin' That Glow

As it's getting sunnier and warmer (well, at least it was) I can never resist adding an extra bit of glow in to my routine. I am never one to go for a matte finish, pretty much everything I own makeup-wise has some shimmer in it bar lip products which is a no-no for me.
I have now amassed a mini collection of highlighting products to try and give me the dewy, glowing skin I yearn for and here's the rundown:

MAC Strobe Cream - I reviewed this little guy a while back and I now find that this gives my skin a great wake me up when I apply it as a primer and that's my favourite way to use it. My foundation applies smoothly over the top and gives me a really natural radiant look, it's definitely a staple in my routine at the moment.

MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter - I'd heard so many positive reviews about this and for only £3, I thought I'd give it a try. I've not been massively blown away by it to be honest. It doesn't have much pigmentation and it fades away on me quite quickly. It's nice for minimal makeup days but I wouldn't reach for it on a daily basis.

Seventeen Skin Wow 3 Way Highlighter - I used this virtually every day for about a month but when my skin took a turn for the worse it took a back seat. I'm currently using this just as a cheekbone highlighter but I really love using it mixed in with my foundation too when I'm wanting to go for a heavier makeup look.

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Pink Quartz - This has recently re-entered into my life after sitting unused in my drawers for a few months and I'm loving the super natural glow it's giving my skin. I like to pop this on top of my blusher (any of them) for an extra glow and it really does make me look so much healthier, even my boyfriend commented on how nice my skin was looking and he's not one to normally notice!

Overall, I pretty much incorporate one or more of these into my daily makeup and none of them are OTT on glitter particles. MAC Strobe Cream wins for the best base whereas I think the Seventeen Highlighter works the best as an actual highlighter (not a surprise, given it's name...) The Shimmer Brick is just gorgeous for an extra pop of radiance on the cheeks and the MUA Highlighter is good for it's £3 pricetag.

Skincare and Beauty Haul

After my first payday, I decided it was time to get a few essentials/treats. Obviously, the first stop was Boots where they had their 3 for 2 offer on, bonus. I picked up my favourite Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation after having the Serum the past couple of times and I love the extra little bit of coverage you get with the foundation rather than the serum.

I didn't really have an under-eye concealer that I was happy with so I decided to try the L'Oreal Lumi Magique concealer pen in shade Light. They only do Light & Medium which isn't great, I'd probably benefit from an ultra light shade but I really love the smooth consistency of the concealer, it doesn't crease or dry out my under-eye area and as I get more tanned during the summer months I think it will look more brightening.
The last thing I got from Boots was one of the Revlon Lacquer Balms in the shade Demure. When I swatched it in store, it looked like the perfect peachy nude however when I got home and tried it on I realised it has quite a lot of glitter in it which is not something I'm a huge fan of. I've been pairing it with Creme D'Nude and it does make a pretty nude lip but not one that you can throw in your bag and apply on the go.

I've been suffering from one of the worst breakouts recently and I really don't know what's caused it. To be honest, I've never really had much of a skincare routine going on, just removing my makeup in the evening with a Micellar Water so perhaps my skin's finally had enough and needs something more?
Anyway, I decided to try out a couple of items and after hearing rave reviews a while ago about nspa, I decided to try out their Hot Cloth Polish. It was on "reduced to clear" for £5 and their Ultimate Cleansing Tonic was reduced to £1 so I picked up both to try out. I've only used them once but I found the tonic did a great job of removing all of my makeup including mascara without leaving any stingy eyes or residue. The Hot Cloth Polish was lovely, I've never used one before and I really enjoyed it, it left my skin feeling thoroughly clean but not dried out. I'll report back in a few weeks to say how I've found them after giving them a longer run but fingers crossed they will help clear my skin!

I also picked up a new shower gel in Peach and a Mango Body Mist from nspa and they both smell gorgeous. The shower gel lathers up nicely and the body mist actually lasts a long time on the skin, perfect scents for Summer!

Last of all, I picked up a new moisturiser from Superdrug from their B. Range called B.Ready aimed at 20's-30's skin. I decided to grab it as it was 1/2 price for £4.99 and I can never resist a good offer! I have only used it once so again I can't really comment on how it performs long-term but first impressions are that it's lightweight and doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy, so it's a thumbs up so far.

What have you been buying recently? Have you tried any of these products?

Maybelline The Falsies Volum' Express Waterproof | Review

I'm a sucker for a bargain so when I saw this for £5 and after hearing so many rave reviews of Maybelline's The Falsies, I knew I had to try it.
I will admit I was a little dubious as to what I'd think of it, I never really liked the look of the wand and I didn't know if it would make my lashes look how I like them, which is full, long and stand-out.

After using it a few times, I'm really not sure how I feel about it. I picked mine up in the waterproof version so I don't know how that fares compared to the standard Falsies but I found this to be a fairly dry formula. It gives me a natural, fluttery look after one coat but if I try and apply a second coat, it tends to look a little clumpy.

I'm not a huge fan of the brush, it's a bit difficult to work with and I find that it picks up quite a lot of excess product when it first comes out of the tube and distributes it around my eye area as I apply it, not a huge issue as I'm fairly clumsy with application at the best of times but it still seems to give me more trouble than usual. Also, despite having picked this up in the waterproof formula, I've found that it transfers to my lower and upper eye area after a couple of hours wear, crumbles quite readily and is quite tricky to remove at night.

One thing I will say it does well is that it definitely holds a curl. I can curl my lashes and apply this at 9am and they stay looking perky all day until I take it off at 11pm, which is definitely something a lot of mascaras tend to fail at but it's still not enough to make me love this mascara.

I'll probably get round to using the tube up but I don't think I'll be repurchasing it again, offer or not! Max Factor still reign the mascara kingdom as far as I'm concerned but I'll still be keeping up my quest to find the perfect mascara, if such a thing exists.

How did you find Maybelline's The Falsies? 

Current Beauty Favourites

I've had a few of these products kicking around for a good few weeks now and rather than writing individually about them, I thought I might as well group them together for a mini review each.
I bought Rimmel Match Perfection when I saw it on offer for only £5. I was looking for something with a little more coverage and this is a step up on coverage from my Healthy Mix Serum. It gives my skin a fresh, glowing finish with medium coverage that lasts on me for about 6-8 hours. My only complaint is that it can look a little orange on my skin but it's not too noticeable and I've been reaching for it most days.

I was on the hunt for a liquid highlighter and the Seventeen Skin Wow 3 Way Highlighter has been a staple in my daily routine for about a month now and I am loving it. I've used it as a primer, mixed in with my foundation and purely as a cheekbone highlight and it works well all ways, just like the bottle says. I tend to mix a little in with my foundation for extra glow and then pop some on my cheekbones for a stronger highlight and it lasts on me 8 hours+ and makes my whole face look more put together without being too glittery or shimmery.

If you've read my blog for a while you'll know I'm a huge fan of Max Factor mascaras and when I had a makeup clear out recently, all my Max Factor ones had to go. I decided to repurchase False Lash Effect after loving it a couple of years ago and it's long lasting, smudge-proof and gives my lashes thickness and definition without being clumpy.

A few weeks ago, I managed to drop my beloved HD Brows palette on the floor and it turned to dust, I was beyond devastated. I decided that rather than repurchasing I'd try the Anastasia Brow Powder Duo and I think I've found a new favourite. I have it in medium brown and it matches my eyebrows perfectly, giving me a much more natural fullness than I've ever had before. I like to run the darker shade through my brows first and then go over them in the lighter shade and it fills in any sparse areas without looking too dark or fake.

What are you current favourites? Do you like any of these products too?

My Eye Shadow Heroes

Long time, no blog! I've had a busy few weeks - me and my boyfriend both got new jobs a couple of weeks ago and so we've been getting adjusted to our new schedules. I've been lacking the funds to make many purchases and was running short of ideas and things to write about so that's why it's been quiet on the blogging front. Hopefully now that things are looking up, I can get back on schedule and keep up to date with my own posts and everyone else's!

I thought I'd get back on track with a post that I've been meaning to do for a while but have never gotten round to for some reason. 

Even on days when I'm just sitting around the house or popping to the shops, I still love to do a relatively "full" face of makeup - one of my favourite items to make me feel put together is eye shadow. It really takes me from a natural, basic look to something a little more fancy whether or not you keep it toned down or make it more dramatic. I'd dabbled with eye shadows for a while before I really got a feel for them. Most of the time I found they didn't blend how I wanted them to or just looked patchy and uneven. That all changed when I got the MAC 239 & 217 brushes. 

I'd spent a lot of time reading reviews online and the two major stand out brushes that were recommended over and over again were the 239 and 217. As my 21st birthday was coming up, I asked for them as one of my presents and was thrilled when I got them on the day. Long rambles aside, they are the best brushes that I own and the only ones that I use for applying my eye shadow with. 

The 239 is perfect for applying the base shade and packing it on seamlessly with great colour pay off, no matter what the pigmentation of your eye shadow is like. The 217 is my all time favourite and is great for the days when you don't have a lot of time to spend making everything neat - it doubles up as applying the base shade then the crease shade and blending it all out to create a flawless look with no harsh lines in site.

It's been nearly two years since I got them and they are still looking great and working just as well as they did when I first got them. I've had extremely minimal fallout, perhaps the odd hair every now and again but they're few and far between. They pick up the product without soaking it into the bristles and apply it like a dream - I couldn't ask for anymore. I think I am going to get another 217 when payday comes around as it would be handy to have a clean one readily available for blending without having to spot clean. 

Have you tried these brushes? What did you think? 

Nail Care Routine

One of my favourite routines to keep up is definitely my nail routine. I love having my nails painted, it makes me feel more put together even when I've not done much with my hair or makeup. I have a reasonable collection of nail polishes but I'm always adding to it as my tastes change, my nail polishes dry out or seasonal shades are released that are just too darn pretty to leave on the shelf.

I used to be a "take it off, whack it on" kind of polish applier, taking off could involve peeling or picking or actually using a remover if I was feeling careful. I'd then pick my polish of choice and slap it on, not bothering about how neat it was and just letting my shower the next morning take care of removing any messy bits.

Now, however, I'm definitely taking pride in being a little more vigilant with my nails and taking better care of them especially when it's cooler and they need an extra bit of care to keep them in tip top shape.

I tend to do my nails about twice a week, starting on a Sunday evening but this can change up depending on what I'm doing during the week/how lazy I'm feeling. I'll start off by removing any nail polish remaining on my nails with the Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover. Following that, I'll soak my hands for about 3 minutes in warm water and apply Sally Hansen's Instant Cuticle Remover to my bare nails and leave it for about 5 minutes (it says don't leave on longer than a minute, but I think it works better after 5 and I've not noticed any ill-effects.) Taking my cuticle pusher, I then push my cuticles back so that they look nice and neat and use the sharp bit to trim any excess. I then rinse all of the gel and whatever it's dissolved of my cuticles and dry them off. If my nails need it, I'll cut them down with some nail clippers to a shortish length and then follow with a large nail file to round any edges off.

Once that's all done, I rinse my hands off again and give them one coat of OPI's Nail Envy as my base coat. I then paint them with my polish of choice and if I'm in a hurry, I might use a quick dry topcoat but most of the time I find topcoats make my nails chip quicker, so I prefer to go without. Once my manicure has dried, I moisturise my hands and around my cuticles to keep any dryness away using the L'Occitane Hand Cream and that's pretty much it! 

What's your nail routine? Do you have any essentials to recommend?